Jason - Silverback Redemption

by Raines, Harmony

  And he never wanted to come down. And he never wanted the kiss to end. Although he knew it must, because there was so much for them to do, so much for them to accomplish so they could live their happily ever after.

  Chapter Fourteen – Shannon

  She clung to him as he kissed her. Or maybe she’d kissed him. It didn’t matter who had made the first move, all that mattered was that they were here on the side of the mountain joined together. She took a breath and broke their kiss. Were they joined? Was she truly buying into this whole mates thing?

  She leaned forward and placed her forehead on his chest. Why couldn’t she just let go and believe in him, believe in them? After all, he’d shown her his bear.

  Shannon took a step back and looked up at him. “Is this real?” she asked hoarsely. “Not the shifter thing, I know that’s true now. But you and me and fated mates. Is that real?”

  “It’s real to me.” His forehead creased as he looked at her with such intensity, she thought he could bore a hole in her head and read her thoughts. “This is the most real thing in my life. Ever.”

  “I wish I felt the same.” She did feel the same, but she couldn’t admit it to Jason. She wasn’t ready, she hadn’t had time to process all that had happened since they’d come to Bear Creek.

  “You will,” Jason told her confidently.

  “You truly believe it.” There was no denying the intensity in his eyes as he looked at her.

  “Yes, I do. I’ve seen my friends find their mates and I was skeptical.”

  “You were?” Shannon asked in surprise.

  “I thought it would never be my turn or that I would never feel the same way they did.” He gave a self-deprecating grunt. “I thought the dragon shifters were arrogant and thought they were special, but there I was thinking I was soooo special, fate would never work for me.”

  Shannon laughed as she placed a hand on his chest and smiled as she met his eyes. “What you’re saying is that there is nothing special about us at all and that fate must have gotten it right.”

  “Pretty much. To think that I might be the exception to the rule when fate has worked this way for shifters for millennia is an arrogant assumption.”

  “And you are not an arrogant man,” she said seriously although her mouth twitched at the corners. Jason might be many things, but she doubted arrogance was one of them.

  “I try not to be but whether I am is for others to decide.” He nodded toward the trail. “We should pick up the pace or else the others will be sending out a search party for us instead of focusing on the treasure.”

  “Maybe a dragon will swoop down and pick us up and carry us up the mountain.” Shannon’s legs were already feeling like lead weights.

  “Ah, so you would let a dragon carry you up the mountain, but not me?” Jason asked in mock offense.

  “A dragon is a magical creature. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she offered up as an explanation.

  “So, I’m boring and mundane,” Jason said in return.

  “Oh, no, I don’t think there is anything boring or mundane about you, Jason of the Silverback Saviors.” She grinned, her tired legs receiving a boost as adrenaline filled her body. Jason was as sexy as hell and her body yearned for him on a deep, feminine level.

  “Even compared to a dragon?” His eyes darkened as he was captured by the same yearning. If the need to catch up with the others and find the treasure was not so desperate, Shannon might have grabbed hold of his jacket and dragged him into the undergrowth where they could make love under the ever-watchful gaze of the mountain.

  “Even compared to a dragon.” They walked on in an easy silence as the sun warmed their backs, it was already past midday, their detour to meet the dragons had robbed them of a large chunk of time but Shannon suspected it would be worthwhile. With the dragons alongside them, they had a better chance of finding the treasure.

  The trail grew steeper and Shannon’s thoughts turned to her father, wherever he was. There had been no word from him for three days and worry was nagging at her mind like a dog gnawing at a bone. Only her determination to find the treasure kept her fears for her father from becoming all-consuming.

  “We’re nearly there,” Jason told her as her steps grew slower and the trail grew steeper.

  “Good, or I might have caved and asked you to carry me after all.” She shot him a tired smile. “You look as fresh as the moment we left the truck. Is that just your physical prowess or your shifter genes?”

  “A little of both,” he admitted. “Being a shifter gives me strength and speed, but I also have to work out to maintain it.” He chuckled and looked at the ground beneath his feet. “That’s another side of myself I’d happily show you.”

  “I’m sure you would.” She arched an eyebrow. “Do your clothes magically fall off, too?”

  “Oh, no, they need to be removed in the usual way.” He coughed as color crept across his cheeks. “Maybe we should focus on getting to the others.”

  “Maybe we should.” Shannon had the sudden desire to strip her jacket off as heat filled her. Jason sure ignited her passion and desire, but she could not allow herself to be distracted. Not with so much at stake.

  “There you both are, we thought you’d gotten lost,” Fiona said with a knowing look in her eye.

  “No, I was just proving to Shannon that shifters are real,” Jason explained.

  “Wait, you shifted into your bear?” Lorcan asked excitedly. “Can I see?”

  “Later,” Fiona replied. “We only have a few hours of daylight left and a lot to do in that time. What did I teach you was the first skill a dragon shifter has to learn?”

  “Focus and intent,” Lorcan replied solely.

  “Yes, because being a dragon shifter carries a great responsibility. There are so few of us left that we have to act with care and consideration.” Fiona fixed him with an intense stare.

  Lorcan listened attentively and nodded solemnly. “I understand.”

  Shannon pushed herself to take the last couple of steps so that she could stand next to her child, the boy she’d raised as her own. “Although, you also need to remember you have a human side that needs a little fun in your life.” She slipped her arm around his shoulder. “But Fiona and Harlan are right, for now, we all need to focus and act with care and consideration.”

  “For Grandpa.” Lorcan nodded and with a deep shuddering breath, as if the weight of the whole mountain was on his shoulders, he turned toward the valley which ran parallel alongside the partially filled one where they had first seen Jason only yesterday. “Let’s try this way.”

  “Wait.” Fiona held up her hand. “We’re going to just try to go this way?”

  Lorcan stood as still as the mountain and considered the dragon shifter’s words. “I can feel it.” He placed his hand on his solar plexus. “I can feel it calling to me.”

  “Point to where it is,” Harlan suggested. “Just lift your arm and point. Don’t think about it, there is no right or wrong, only intuition.”

  “There.” Lorcan pointed toward the rock that rose up between the two valleys. “It’s in there.”

  “Yesterday we found a cave. Lorcan was convinced it was the entrance to the treasure, but it was empty. So I’m guessing the treasure is trapped somewhere under that rock. Perhaps there’s been a cave-in or something.” Shannon was no expert but digging around under solid rock without the correct knowledge and equipment could bring a whole heap of solid stone down on them. That would not be acting with care and consideration since she doubted even a dragon shifter could hold up the weight of the mountain.

  “I went back to the cave this morning,” Jason admitted suddenly.

  “You did?” Shannon asked in surprise, while by her side, Lorcan tensed, his fists curled into tight balls. Had she been wrong to place her trust in Jason?

  “What did you find?” Fiona’s eyes narrowed as she stalked toward the man they thought of as a Silverback Savior.

  “There
might be a way through the back of the cave. I think there’s a tunnel that’s caved in. I started to dig it out...”

  “You what?” Lorcan asked hotly.

  “I know that’s where you were looking and I wanted to check it out to see if you’d missed anything,” Jason explained calmly even though the look on Lorcan’s face was one of pure rage.

  “Lorcan,” Shannon warned. “Jason is trying to help us.” She placed her hand on her son’s arm although she had no hope of holding him back if he decided to pick a fight with Jason.

  “Is he?” Lorcan’s eyes flashed red as he stared at Jason. “Or is he trying to steal what’s mine?”

  “Don’t be absurd,” Fiona snapped and Lorcan blinked as if he’d been slapped across the face. “Jason is a good and honorable man, add in the fact that your mom is his mate and there is no way he would ever do anything to hurt you, and that includes robbing you of your treasure.”

  “Do you think there is a way to open up the tunnel?” Harlan asked Jason.

  “I started to dig it out, but it’s tough going and there is no room for heavy equipment.” Jason dragged his gaze away from Lorcan even though the young man was still incredibly tense and ready to fight if he saw a threat to his treasure.

  “Lorcan, Jason is trying to help. Maybe if you work with him, we might find the treasure faster.” Shannon’s words took a moment to penetrate Lorcan’s continued anger.

  “What do you think?” Harlan asked Jason. “Do we spend our time trying to gain entrance through the cave or look for an alternative way in?”

  “An alternative way in,” Fiona said sharply, her features pinched as a deep crease formed on her forehead. “If Jason thought the entrance through the cave was easy then he’d have gone back there with Lorcan and Shannon. Am I right?”

  Jason pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. “I have no idea how far we’d need to dig out the tunnel and it would take more than me and my pickaxe to get through it.”

  “Which would mean telling more people about Lorcan and the treasure.” Jason’s actions and his motives all became a lot clearer to Shannon.

  “Exactly.” Jason nodded. “I can enlist the help of Gunner, Patrick, and Killian. They would never tell anyone about this. Beyond those three men and their mates, there is only a handful of people I trust implicitly. Although, there wouldn’t be enough room for more than the four of us in the cave. But even with us working shifts, there is no way of knowing just how deep we have to tunnel.” He turned to Lorcan. “It’s why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to give you false hope.”

  Fiona turned and stared to where Lorcan had pointed. “Then we go on. Let’s explore this valley and see if we can find another way in, or at least pinpoint where the treasure is. If this draws a blank, then we will have to reassess the cave entrance on the other side of the valley.”

  With the decision made, the group made their way up the valley, toward the place where Lorcan believed his treasure to be buried under rock and stone. Shannon’s hope diminished with each step as they walked the valley from bottom to top and found no sign of an opening that might lead them to the treasure.

  “So the cave on the other side is our best bet?” Shannon asked Jason, who had been quiet throughout the time the group had explored the valley. She couldn’t figure out if he was deep in thought or if Lorcan’s accusations had offended him and he’d retreated into himself.

  “I think so.” He nodded, his expression troubled. “It’s not going to be easy, though.”

  “Lately, I’m finding that nothing is.” She gave a bright smile, even though she didn’t feel like smiling. “Maybe we have to work hard to find what we deserve.”

  His mouth curled up at one corner. “And the best things in life are worth waiting for.”

  She sighed. “Right now, I’d settle for easy. This is all taking too much time and it’s time we don’t have.”

  “You’re worried about your dad.” Jason stopped and stared at the rock face in front of them as the others moved on.

  “I am.” She took her cell phone from her pocket and checked for messages out of habit more than anything. There was no signal in this part of the mountains. The sides of the valleys were too high. “I haven’t heard from him for three days.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s in danger. Perhaps something happened to his cell phone or he’s in hiding.” Jason huffed. “None of which are comforting thoughts.”

  “No, they are. You’re right, there could be a multitude of reasons why he hasn’t been in contact. I just want to hear his voice and know he’s okay.” She tucked her phone back into her pocket. “So what are we looking at?” She folded her arms and stared at the rock in front of them.

  “Defeat,” he answered simply.

  Chapter Fifteen – Jason

  “Defeat is unacceptable.” Shannon turned to face Jason. “There has to be a way.”

  “Not through this side of the valley.” He inclined his head toward the three dragon shifters who were around ten feet behind them. “We need to find another way,” he called over his shoulder. However, he suspected the only other way they would find was through the tunnel at the back of the cave.

  “I agree,” Harlan replied, although he didn’t look pleased. They had all hoped that if they looked hard enough there would be an opening in the rock face, perhaps hidden by a fallen tree or an overgrown shrub. Life was never easy.

  Shannon and Jason turned around and walked back up the valley to join the dragon shifters who had approached the solid rock face. Lorcan held out his hands as if warming them over a fire. “It’s here, I can feel it strongest here. It’s as if I can feel it vibrating through the rock.”

  “We should check if this is opposite the cave entrance on the other side.” Jason looked up at the high wall of rock between the valleys. There were plenty of handholds, he could scale it without a rope. “I can go check if you want.”

  “Let’s just take a GPS reading and then we can all head around to the next valley.” Harlan took out his phone and tapped the screen. “I’ve pinpointed where we are.” He pocketed his phone. “Let’s go.”

  “This means we’re going to have to dig out the stone, doesn’t it?” Lorcan’s disappointment was tangible.

  “It does.” Jason nodded. The young dragon shifter was like most teenagers, he had little patience. A character trait amplified by his dragon-shifter blood. “But we’ll get through it.”

  “I’m sorry. About earlier.” Lorcan looked at Jason sheepishly. “I was rude. I didn’t mean to be.”

  “I know. I also promise you that I’m only here to help. I have no interest in your treasure other than because it’s something you need.” He nodded as he patted Lorcan on the shoulder. “It’s not always easy to know who to trust but you can trust me.”

  Lorcan sighed. “I want this to be over.”

  “We all do.” Shannon joined them and they walked side by side down the valley. “Although, I’m worried that finding the treasure is going to be the easy part.”

  “Easy, we’ve been up here for days trying to find it. This is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Lorcan jabbed his finger at the rock. “Only the haystack is solid impenetrable rock.”

  “I think your mom is worried about what comes after,” Jason said gently, his eyes resting on his mate.

  “You mean me having to hand over the treasure?” Lorcan asked. “I told you I can do it.”

  “But what if it calls to you after it’s gone?” Shannon’s voice spiked with worry.

  “Your mom is right. If you had to part with a few items of treasure, it would be fine. We’ve all done it. But, there’s a good chance handing over all of your treasure might cause you problems,” Fiona confirmed. “But we still need to find it. It gives you leverage.”

  Jason grasped hold of that thought and his mind conjured up a scary array of possible outcomes if Lorcan didn’t cope well with losing his treasure. Most of them ended with Shannon in a pit of despair
as she fought to keep Lorcan sane.

  None of the outcomes were acceptable. They needed a better plan. As he allowed his thoughts to percolate in his brain, an idea formed of just how he could deal with the problem of dragon hunters. Permanently.

  His bear hung his head and sighed, but he didn’t argue. If self-sacrifice was their only option, then so be it.

  Shannon doesn’t know us. She doesn’t need us in the same way she needs Lorcan. I can’t stand by and let them both be destroyed if there is any other way, Jason told his bear.

  How do you know she doesn’t need us? Do you think fate would have made sure our paths crossed just so that we can sacrifice for her? Do you think she’ll be okay with that? His bear had a point, but Jason was firmly set on doing whatever it took to stop Lorcan from losing his treasure.

  “Let’s get to the cave and see if we can formulate a plan to excavate the mountain and find the treasure.” Jason turned his back on his mate and walked down the trail that threaded through the valley. His thoughts were deep and murky, but if there was no other way then he’d chosen his path. He hadn’t expected to ever find redemption but perhaps this was it.

  He’d found his mate, a woman who was happy to be on her own and raise her son alone. She’d said she wasn’t looking for romance and that she’d made a bargain with herself to put her life on hold until Lorcan was a grown man. Surely, that need to focus on Lorcan was amplified now that she knew for sure he was a dragon shifter.

  Perhaps the reason fate had brought them together was for him to make the ultimate sacrifice.

  There must be another way, his bear said firmly.

  Jason didn’t answer as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. As he walked, he switched his attention to what they would need to open up the tunnel safely. Along with the Silverback Saviors, he might also need help from Mac Winter. Mac owned the local sawmill and if the tunnel wasn’t stable, they would need timber to shore up the tunnel and stop any collapses.